What determines a person’s ongoing treatment after a
heart attack?

Treatment after a heart attack will depend on the type of heart attack you had, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

A heart attack can occur when there is either a complete blockage of the coronary artery – called a STEMI heart attack – or a partial blockage – called an NSTEMI,
according to the AHA.

Treatments can include anything from medication to an angioplasty to surgery – or a combination of these or other treatments.

For heart attacks with only a single blood vessel blocked, it is common for an angioplasty stent procedure to be done to help clear the blocked artery, according
to Premier Health Specialists' (PHS) physicians.

After a heart attack with multiple vessels blocked, stenting might not be enough, PHS physicians say. In some of these cases, the patient might need open heart
surgery.

On an ongoing basis, a regimen of beta blockers and aspirin have been clinically proven to be a highly effective treatment after a heart attack, PHS physicians
say.

Some kind of statin cholesterol-lowering medication and a cardio rehabilitation program also are common ongoing treatments for most patients after a heart attack,
according to PHS physicians.

Patients who have had a heart attack should make sure to have regular, close follow-up visits with their physician to ensure their long-term treatment is working
for them.

Talk to your doctor about what determines ongoing treatment after a heart attack.

How can a person’s life change after a heart attack?

After a heart attack, many people can return to their full, active lives, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). However, there are some important things you need to do to make sure you’re taking good care
of yourself.

To prevent future heart attacks, you’ll need to visit your doctor to be treated for coronary heart disease, according to the AHA. For most people, this includes
the following:

A cardiac rehabilitation program, which typically includes education, counseling, training, and exercise guidance

Lifestyles changes, including a healthy diet, physical activity, a healthy weight, and no smoking

Medication to help control your heart’s workload, for high blood pressure, for high cholesterol, and for chest pain – some of which might be needed for the rest
of your life

Before returning to any physical activity after a heart attack, make sure to talk with your doctor.

Most people can at least begin walking again right away after a heart attack, according to the AHA. After a few weeks, most people can safely return to their other
activities, as long as they don’t have pain.

Sexual activity should wait for a few weeks following a heart attack, and you should talk with your doctor about when this will safety fit back into your schedule,
according to the AHA.

For some people, anxiety and depression can become common after a heart attack, according to the AHA.

Some of these feelings can stem from the multiple lifestyle changes you take on at once. Others can come from the stress and worry about having another heart
attack, according to the AHA.

Finding supportive family and friends and joining a patient support group both can help you manage these emotions, according to the AHA.

For more information about how your life might change after a heart attack, talk with your doctor.

How often will patients be monitored after a heart
attack?

Patients typically follow up with their doctor one to two weeks after the leave the hospital following a heart attack, according to Premier Health Specialists'.

Another visit is usually scheduled about three months after that, but these visits might be more or less frequent depending on each individual patient’s need, PHS
physicians say.

After that, patients should expect to see their doctor once or twice a year for the rest of their life to follow up on their heart health, PHS physicians say.

Talk with your doctor about what type of medical follow up schedule is right for you after a heart attack.

What is AFib, and how common is it?

AFib, or atrial fibrillation, is an irregular heartbeat that can lead to heart-related issues, including stroke, blood clots and heart attack, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

A healthy heart will contract and relax for a regular heartbeat. However, AFib patients will experience a heart “quiver” in the upper chambers of the heart, according to the AHA. The lack of effective contractions in the upper chamber of heart can cause stagnation of blood and predispose to clot formation in the upper chamber of the heart. This can potentially dislodge and cause strokes.

Symptoms of AFib may include palpitations (racing of the heart, skipping beats, irregular heart rhythm), shortness of breath, lightheadedness, chest tightness, according to the AHA, but sometimes there are no symptoms.

AFib is the most common of heart arrhythmias, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It increases with age and most often affects people over 65. About 15 percent to 20 percent of stroke patients suffer from AFib.

What is Stereotaxis, and how does it benefit AFib patients?

Stereotaxis technology is a computer-aided robotic surgery system that allows electrophysiologists and surgeons to guide catheters into heart tissue with greater accuracy than manual methods, such as cardiac ablation, according to Stereotaxis.com.

Stereotaxis is precise with soft, flexible catheters, and Premier Health physicians say the procedure can reduce the chances of damaging the heart wall. The procedure is safer, with better patient outcomes and shorter recovery times.

Bradycardia – This is when your heart rate is too slow, at less than 60 beats per minute.

Premature contraction – This is an early beat in the rhythm of your heart that makes you feel like your heart has skipped a
beat.

Tachycardia – This type of arrhythmia is when your heart beats too fast, at more than 100 beats per minute.

Ventricular fibrillation – Also known as v-fib, ventricular fibrillation is the most serious type of arrhythmia. With v-fib,
the lower chambers of the heart quiver and can’t pump blood, which causes cardiac arrest.

For more information about the different types of arrhythmias, talk with your doctor.

What is a pacemaker? How does it work, and what does it do?

Dr. Krebs discusses pacemakers, how they work, and their purpose. Click play to watch the video or read the transcript.

A pacemaker is a small device that helps the heart to beat more regularly, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It is used to regulate and treat rhythm problems of the heart.

A pacemaker is implanted by a doctor. It is placed under the skin on the upper chest, just under the collarbone, and it hooks to the heart with up to three tiny wires, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

The wires monitor and record the heart’s electrical activity and rhythm, according to the NIH. The pacemaker helps the heart beat properly when it senses an arrhythmia.

Pacemakers can relieve some arrhythmia symptoms, including fatigue and fainting, and can help someone with abnormal heart rhythms live a more active lifestyle, according to the NIH.

For more information about pacemakers and how they work, talk with your doctor.

What could interfere with a pacemaker’s function?

Dr. Krebs discusses things that can interfere with the function of pacemakers. Click play to watch the video or read the transcript.

Though pacemakers are not typically bothered by many common daily-use devices, some things can interfere with how pacemakers work, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Some things that could interfere include:

What is the relationship between sleep and cardiovascular health?

Hypertension, stroke, coronary heart disease and irregular heartbeats all are forms of cardiovascular disease that people who suffer from sleep apnea are at increased risk of suffering from, according to the CDC. Hardening of the arteries has been shown to occur in patients with sleep apnea free of any other significant risk factors.

Talk to your doctor for more information about the relationship between sleep and cardiovascular health.

What is a cardiac stress test, and what happens during it?

A cardiac stress test is a test used by doctors to determine how well your heart is working, according to the American Heart
Association (AHA). The test is a functional assessment of the blood flow to the heart, and can also give additional information of heart function.

Sometimes people call the test a treadmill test or an exercise test. As you exercise, your doctor can evaluate whether there is a lack of blood supply through the arteries to the heart, according to the AHA.

Your heartbeat and heart waves are recorded in an electrocardiogram (ECG) during the test, according to the AHA. Wires will be hooked to your chest and arms that connect to the ECG machine to collect the information.

During the test, you can stop at any time, if you need to. Just tell your medical provider to stop the test.

Talk to your physician for more information about cardiac stress tests.

What are the benefits and risks of using aspirin as part of a preventive health routine?

Dr. Davenport discusses benefits and risks of using aspirin for preventive health. Click play to watch the video or read the transcript.

Using aspirin can be helpful as a preventive measure for some people, but there can also be risks involved with taking it.

Taking a daily low-dose aspirin – if recommended by your doctor – has been shown to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

If someone has had a prior heart attack, the aspirin will be beneficial to prevent future issues, according to the AHA

It is recommended that women age 55 and older and men age 45 and older who are at risk of cardiovascular disease should take aspirin preventatively because the benefits greatly outweigh the health risks, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The main health risk from aspirin is gastrointestinal bleeding, according to the HHS.

Because aspirin acts as a blood thinner, helping to prevent blood clots, it also can cause bleeding from minor injuries that might otherwise just cause bruising, according to Premier Health Specialists’ (PHS) physicians.

Talk to your doctor for more information about the risks and benefits of taking aspirin.

When should a person ask their medical provider if aspirin would be beneficial to them?

Dr. Davenport discusses what to ask a medical provider about the benefits of aspirin. Click play to watch the video or read the transcript.

People who have a cardiovascular risk that is higher than the risk of side effects from taking aspirin could cause should talk to their physician about the benefits of taking the medication, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

If you have had a heart attack before, the benefits of aspirin would outweigh the risks, according to the HHS.

It is recommended that women age 55 and older and men age 45 and older who are at risk of cardiovascular disease should take aspirin preventatively because the benefits greatly outweigh the health risks, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

If you have an increased risk of cardiovascular problems, talk to your doctor about whether aspirin use would be the right option for you.

The American Heart Association has a goal of 20 percent improvement in the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 2020. Is this goal attainable?

The American Heart Association (AHA) has set a goal of improving “the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent, while reducing deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20 percent” – all by 2020.

This goal was set by the AHA in 2011. According to statistics reported by the AHA in 2013, steps that need to be taken to reach the goal include:

Emphasizing the importance of treating minor heart issues and the importance of prevention by controlling and treating behaviors and risks

What things can people do to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease or help in recovery of cardiovascular disease?

While some risk factors of heart disease – such as family history - cannot be controlled, you can reduce the risk of heart disease with medications and lifestyle changes, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Many of the things you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease and recovery are changes to your lifestyle and daily behaviors, according to the NIH. While these can be difficult habits to change, they are important to work toward a full, healthy life.

Some lifestyle changes that will help reduce heart disease risk and help in recovery of cardiovascular disease, according to the National Institutes of Health(AHA), include:

Being physically active daily

Choosing good nutrition

Following a healthy diet

Getting involved in a cardiac rehabilitation program, if you are recovering from cardiovascular disease

Getting to and maintaining a healthy weight

Limiting alcohol

Lowering blood cholesterol

Lowering high blood pressure

Managing diabetes

Managing stress

Quitting smoking

By making these lifestyle changes, you can do your best to work toward preventing a future or another heart attack, according to the AHA.

For more information about the importance of lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of and aid in recovery from cardiovascular disease, talk with your doctor.

What is metabolic syndrome?

Dr. Mark Moronell discusses metabolic syndrome. Click play to watch the video or read the transcript.

Metabolic syndrome is a term used to describe a group of health risk factors that increase your risk for heart disease and other health problems, including diabetes and stroke, according to the National Institutes of
Health (NIH).

About 34 percent of adults are affected by metabolic syndrome, according to the American Heart
Association (AHA). The underlying causes of metabolic syndrome include insulin resistance, obesity, genetics and physical inactivity.

What are the symptoms of metabolic syndrome?

Dr. Mark Moronell discusses the symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Click play to watch the video or read the transcript.

Metabolic syndrome typically is diagnosed when people have three or more of the following symptoms or risk factors, according to the American Heart
Association (AHA):

Waist measurement of more than 40 inches for men and more than 35 inches for women

Fasting blood triglycerides of 150 mg/dL or more

Low HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) levels of less than 40 mg/dL in men and less than 50 mg/dL in women

High blood pressure of 130/85 mm Hg or more

Fasting glucose (blood sugar) of 100 mg/dL or more

When doctors find that you have metabolic syndrome, it is a sign to alert them and you as the patient that there are not only visible health issues, but also indirect health issues that need to be investigated and managed, according to the AHA.

For more about symptoms of metabolic syndrome, talk with your physician.

Making changes in daily habits and using doctor-prescribed medications can help patients with metabolic syndrome lose weight, be more physically active, eat a heart healthy diet, quit smoking, lower blood pressure, lower triglycerides, improve HDL cholesterol levels and lower blood sugar, according to the NIH.

The main goal of treating metabolic syndrome is to reduce the risk of heart disease, according to the NIH, and the best way to do that is to focus on improving the risk factor you can control with lifestyle behavior changes, such as losing weight, eating a healthy diet and living an active lifestyle.

Talk to your physician for more information about treating metabolic syndrome.

Is metabolic syndrome a serious health issue?

Dr. Mark Moronell discusses how serious a health issue metabolic syndrome is. Click play to watch the video or read the transcript.

Metabolic syndrome is a serious health issue because it is a combination of risk factors for heart disease, according to the American Heart
Association (AHA).

When a patient has a variety of these risk factors instead of just one, it creates a greater chance of future cardiovascular issues, according to the AHA.

Metabolic syndrome affects about 34 percent of adults, putting them at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke and other diseases related to fatty buildups in artery walls, according to the AHA.

Can inflammation in the heart be diagnosed or detected?

A test, called a CRP (C-reactive protein) test, can be used to diagnose inflammation in the body, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

A high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) test, however, is able to determine a person’s risk for heart disease, according to the NIH.

A high CRP level if often thought to be a risk factor for heart disease, according to the NIH. But it’s not known for sure if a high CRP is just a sign of heart disease or if it is a factor that causes heart problems.

Talk to your doctor to learn more about detecting inflammation in the heart.

Can inflammation damage the heart?

Studies have not proven that inflammation damages the heart by causing cardiovascular disease, but inflammation is a common symptom of both heart disease and stroke patients, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

Damage to the artery walls seems to cause inflammation and help plaque grow, which can lead to a coronary heart disease, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

For more information about inflammation damaging the heart, talk with your doctor.

What role does inflammation play in the body’s healing process?

Inflammation is when an injury to the body swells some, gets red and hurts. It happens when the immune system is trying to fight against something that could be harmful to the body, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Inflammation, according to the NIH, is most often caused by:

Effects of chemicals or radiation

Germs, such as bacteria, fungi, or viruses

Injuries, such as a scrape or a splinter

The inflamed area of the body gets more attention from the defense cells in the body to help with the healing process, according to the NIH. The defense cells focus on the affected tissue and carry more fluid there. The extra blood and fluid in the area are what cause the redness and swelling.

Diseases and other conditions also can cause inflammation. According to the NIH, some of those include:

Bronchitis – inflammation of the bronchi

Cystitis – inflammation of the bladder

Dermatitis – inflammation of the skin

Otitis media – inflammation of the middle ear (an ear infection)

For more information about how inflammation helps with healing, talk with your doctor.

What is venous disease, and what are its symptoms?

Dr. Abdelhamed discusses venous disease and its symptoms. Click play to watch the video or read the transcript.

Venous disease starts when the valves inside the veins that allow blood to flow only one way become damaged, according to National Institutes of Health (NIH). The damaged valves cause the veins to stay filled with blood instead of working correctly to pump the blood back to the heart.

Symptoms of venous disease, according to the NIH, include:

Bleeding from damaged veins

Discolored skin

Foot swelling

Hard, thick skin on ankles

Heavy feeling in the legs

Itching

Large varicose veins

Leg cramps

Leg swelling

Lessened pain when sitting with legs up

Pain when standing

Redness on ankles

Skin damage from varicose veins

Slow healing sores

Tingling

For more information about venous disease and its symptoms, talk with your doctor.

These medicines reduce the ability of the blood to clot, which prevents a clot from becoming larger while the body has time to reabsorb it, according to the CDC. Blood thinners also reduce the risk of more clots forming.

Other treatment options, according to the CDC, include:

Inferior vena cava filter – inserted inside the vena cava (the large vein that brings blood back to the heart) to capture the clot

Thrombectomy – surgical procedure used in rare cases to remove a clot

Thrombolytics - work to dissolve the clot

Staying mobile and active, and using compression stockings, are also great ways to prevent blood clots from forming, according to Premier Physician Network’s (PPN) physicians.

Another kind of vascular disease, called an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), is often diagnosed with an abdominal ultrasound.

Your doctor might also find this while doing a test for other issues, like an unrelated abdominal pain, according to the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS).

Other testing that might need to be done to see inside your body better includes:

Angiography

CT scan

MRI

A third type of vascular disease is called carotid artery disease, which can lead to a stroke. This happens when the main blood vessels to the brain develop a buildup of plaque caused by hardening arteries.

To diagnose carotid disease, your doctor will take your medical history and do a physical exam. While listening with a stethoscope, they will listen for a whooshing sound that can be a sign of reduced blood flow from plaque buildup, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Some other tests might also include:

Carotid ultrasound

Carotid angiography

CT angiography

MRA

For more information about how vascular disease is diagnosed, talk with your doctor.

How is vascular disease treated?

Vascular disease can include many conditions affecting the body’s blood vessels and caused by blood clots, stiffened arteries, and weakened blood vessels.

Treatment for three of the most common types of vascular disease includes:

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) – Treatment depends on the size of the aneurysm. If it is small, it might not need to be treated. But if your doctor is concerned, he might want you to take some medicine to help lower your blood pressure or relax your blood vessels, according to the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS).

The goal is to keep the AAA from rupturing.

If the aneurysm is too big or growing too fast, a surgeon will have to do one of two types of surgeries:

Endovascular repair

Open abdominal surgery

Carotid artery disease – The goal of treatment for carotid disease is to keep it from getting worse and to prevent a stroke or an additional stroke.